Spain x Romano World's Fair
by ShariLove
Summary: Romano struggles to gather the courage to ask Spain to the World's Fair.  Little bit of language.
1. Chapter 1

**So, since my fanfic mojo follows Harley's around (I think my muse has a stalker-crush on her muse, but it'll never work out because my muse is a whore.) I couldn't help but want to write another fanfic! But I wasn't sure about what. So I looked at a list of popular Hetalia couples and absolutely fell in love with Spain and Southern Italy :) So here they are! **

Romano glared a gaze worthy of a thousand daggers at the tickets in his palm. His cheeks burned red and his heart pounded furiously in his chest.

"How the _hell_ am I supposed to give this to him?" He murmured to himself, pacing about the beach.

Sunlight hit his face as he walked; annoying him and reminding him of the feeling he felt whenever Spain was near. He stopped in his tracks and kicked a pile of sand, clenching his fist. The tickets inside crumpled a weak plea against his angry palm.

"This is so _embarrassing!_" He roared, looking up at the beautiful blue sky above.

It was the perfect day to go out somewhere. And the perfect opportunity had arisen when Veneziano came to his door and handed him the two tickets. He was going with that dumbass Germany to the World's Fair. They even had booths. Romano was sure he'd heard Spain talk about setting up a booth at the Fair, too. But he hadn't really been listening. He'd been staring too hard at Spain's eyes, trying to figure out how to express his feelings for the older man.

"Gah! This is killing me!" Romano kicked up several flurries of sand and flailed his arms exasperatedly.

A nearby cough made him halt in mid-flail. Romano looked up. Standing a few feet away with his hand over his mouth, coughing as the flurries of sand that Romano had kicked up fluttered away in the wind, was Spain.

"GYAHHHHH!" Romano shrieked. "Y-you snuck up on me!"

Between coughs, Spain laughed.

"Wha-," Spain choked, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing." Romano stiffened, feeling the coarse paper tickets in his fist. He tightened his grip until his knuckles turned white.

"Well, okay." Spain smiled, wiping sand and cough-induced tears from his eyes.

"But you know, your face looks a lot like a tomato when you're angry."  
>A dark blush swept across Romano's face. His eyebrow twitched, nerves wracked.<p>

"What do you even mean by that!" He retorted clumsily.

"I mean that your face gets all round and red." Spain explained, Romano's exasperation lost on his smile. "It's kind of cute."

Romano looked away then, unable to contain the fire that swept across his cheeks. He clenched his fists so hard that the tickets crinkled noisily in his palms. He swore to himself when the older man blinked and questioned the sound.

"What was that?" Spain asked, looking at Romano's hand. "What do you have?"

"N-nothing, you stupid bastard!" Romano spluttered, turning to walk away. "Stay out of my business. You're such a nag. I don't need you!" He waved a hand over his shoulder airily and took a few steps away from Spain.

_Please come after me. Like you always do. Just do it. Go through the embarrassing crap. Please. PLEASE!_ Romano's thoughts sprang to life, shrieking to the beat of his heart. _Please tell me I need you._

Spain was silent. He didn't move. Romano took more steps away from him. His world crumbled with each fumbling step. His feigned confidence tore halfway and he broke into a run, leaving Spain behind on the bright, sandy beach.

_PLEASE CHASE ME! PLEASE! I NEED YOU! MORE THAN YOU KNOW!_

Spain stood and watched. A tear that Romano would never see slid from his eye, down his cheek, and unto the sand below. The tears that followed would never be seen nor heard by Romano. The laughter was gone as quickly as it had come, and for reasons Spain knew not. He only knew that Romano's words stung like spiked poison in his stomach.

Romano regretted running away, but his legs were hell-bent on escape. He had run what seemed miles when he finally found the strength to stop.

"Why do I say these things?" His own tears escaped their hastily-constructed shell.

Romano dropped to his knees. He knelt by the edge of a mountain, in a grove lined with beautiful trees and flowers. Grass swayed in the wind beside him. What would normally have been a peaceful place was misconstrued in his mind now. Only horror—the horror of his own words, of words previous to today's, and of Spain's lack of response—encompassed him, aching with every pound of his heart.

Romano forced himself to breathe, to compose himself. He looked down at his hand and opened his palm. Wrinkled beyond recognition and drenched in sweat, the two tickets Veneziano had given Romano were no longer usable. Romano stuck them in his pocket nonetheless, hoping that, when he got back to Spain, he would be courageous enough to ask the older man to go with him.

**So, usually when I write fanfics, I do it pretty much in one sitting. But not even halfway through this, I left to see a play (SWEENEY TODD!) and came back…it's just beyond midnight right now, I'm wiped out, and this fanfic is getting REALLY angsty!**

**I'm lovin it! XD More chapters to come. Please review~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay. Man. I'm wiped out again xD I've been out n' about all day. So….here goes!**

Spain sat on the beach and picked up handfuls of sand, watching the grains sift between his fingers and feeling every ounce of warmth spread from them. His fingers were cold against the sand. His body wanted to move so badly. He wanted to chase after Romano like he usually did. But something held him back. He couldn't keep this up. Spain closed his eyes and let the sound of the waves crashing up on shore enshroud him. His heart ached relentlessly in his chest, reminding him of Romano's words.

"_I don't need you!"_

Spain took a deep, faltering breath and opened his eyes. Light swarmed his vision, but he looked beyond it to a time when he and Romano had been on good terms. He found that he could remember no time when he could realistically think of the terms binding the two of them as being good.

"Have we ever been on _good_ terms?" He laughed to himself, then furrowed his brow as he tried to think of a time.

He couldn't. Being on "good" terms seemed to hold a different definition to Romano. There hadn't been a day that Spain could remember that the younger man hadn't called him some name or looked upon him with resentment. Romano was lazy, arrogant, often insulted Spain, acted much bigger than he was, and never thanked Spain for the sacrifices he had made for him.

Nonetheless, all joking aside, Spain would change only one thing about the younger man. He wished, beyond anything, that Romano would_ like_ him. Even if the insults continued, Spain was sure that their relationship would be on much better terms if Romano just showed one sign of compassion toward the elder man.

Spain sighed. Romano would never harbor any good feeling toward him. With a sad smile, Spain reached inside his shirt pocket and pulled out two neatly folded pieces of paper.

"World's Fair, huh?" He blinked against a wave of emotion that swept beneath his eyelids. "I knew this was a long-shot."

With a deep breath, Spain tore his gaze away from the tickets and shoved them back in his pocket. He stretched and stood, taking one last glance at the ocean as it rushed against the earth. Spain turned then and left, hoping Romano would be home so that he could apologize for offenses he didn't remember committing.

**oOo**

A chill swept down the mountainside, catching Romano's back and sending a shiver down his spine. He glanced at the sky, which seemed so far from where he sat. It was midday now, but the forest was shaded and had a time span of its own. Romano felt goosebumps rise on his skin. He closed his eyes against it, but couldn't ignore the freeze that was setting in here.

His legs ached, recalling every earlier step. Romano wasn't exactly sure how to get home from here. All he knew was that he needed to get home and apologize to Spain. He thought the World's Fair tickets in his pocket would make up for what he said. Although he knew it wouldn't be just that, and he'd probably say something offensive, he hoped. Spain had never let him down before. The older man was forgiving and gentle and Romano couldn't think of a day when he'd ever truly resented him. He had only truly resented their relationship.

Romano was sure that Spain only wanted him around for his grandfather's inheritance. It killed him to think so, but he could find no other explanation for Spain's careful tolerance and sweet composure. He envied other countries for befriending Spain, when all he would ever be to the older man was a wealthy inheritance.

Romano buried his head in his hands. He couldn't control the shudders that wracked his body now. The trees had shaded him far too long. Though it was summer, winter remained in the dead of the forest, shed in cold fleets from the mountaintops above.

Turning his thoughts away from his current predicament with Spain, Romano muttered angrily to himself, "How the hell am I supposed to get home?"

He got to his feet slowly, ignoring the ache of muscles as they attempted to shed the cold. He stretched quickly, chose a direction without a second thought, and strode forward. His feet fell graciously into previously-hollowed footprints and he knew he'd chosen the right path.

With a heart full of guilt, self-pointed anger, and fear that Spain might never chase him again, Romano strode forward against the thinning clumps of forest.

** …This seemed like a good enough place to stop for now. I'm too tired to go on! For some reason I haven't been able to eat, so I'm running on half a slice of pizza and a cookie. My body isn't taking well to the nutrients xD Maybe that's why this fic is turning so angsty! :]**


	3. Chapter 3

Romano sighed with relief when Spain's house was finally in view. He strode forward a bit more confidently then, knowing that he was no longer lost. The beauty that surrounded Spain's home was easy to get lost in, and even more so when it was dark like this. Romano chuckled dryly to himself, planning a course of action.

He didn't want to run into Spain and have to explain himself (although a piece of him screamed for Spain to be there, waiting for him). So he'd have to go around the back. But the doors would be locked. It was late. Romano had gotten lost a couple of hours before, only to wind up walking in a mile-long circle. His legs ached horribly, but he was happy at least to be home.

Romano stopped just outside the door. All lights were on, glowing out at him menacingly.

_Home..?_ He asked himself.

This wasn't _his_ home. It was Spain's. Romano's heart ached with the realization. He never felt more at home than when he knew Spain was just a few footfalls away. But did Spain feel the same way?

Romano shook his head. It didn't matter now. He wouldn't make it to his own home; he'd just explain to Spain that he'd gotten lost and needed a place to stay for the night. Spain may even have left the doors unlocked; he was such a carefree guy. That was what Romano admired most about him.

With a sigh, Romano reached for the doorknob and turned it, pushing his way into the house. The door, as he had expected, was unlocked. Cursing Spain under his breath, Romano turned and locked the door. A yawn from behind made him stiffen. Romano turned, and his shoulders fell with relief.

Spain sat in a chair facing the door. His arms were slumped over the side and he was fast asleep. A steady pool of drool was collecting in the corner of his mouth. Romano smiled and looked upon the man he loved. Spain's hair fell over his eyes, illuminated by various lamps Spain had left on in the room.

As quietly as he could, Romano tip-toed across the room and doused lamp after lamp, bringing darkness to the house. When he came to the final lamp, the one just beside Spain, he stopped and hovered over Spain.

"Why are you so perfect?" Romano whispered.

Spain stirred then, yawned, and stretched. Romano drew back quickly and scratched his head in a foul attempt to look busy. Spain opened his eyes and looked upon Romano lazily.

"Oh," He yawned again, "You're home."  
>Romano nodded, his face burning red. His back stiffened and he turned to leave, but Spain grabbed hold of his arm before he could get very far.<p>

"Hey," Spain's voice sounded distant but his eyes pleaded, "Stay with me tonight."

"You perv-," Romano stopped himself in midsentence. "Okay."  
>The cut-off insult wasn't lost upon Spain's ears. His eyes widened.<p>

"Hey, Romano, are you okay?" He asked quietly.

"I'm fine." Romano lied quickly, not daring to look Spain in the eyes.

"Are you sure?" Spain leaned forward, inspecting Romano.

Romano tore away then. "I'm _fine_, you prying bastar-," He stopped himself again. His heart skipped a beat.

"Why'd you stop?" Spain rested languidly on the chair, watching the younger man with curious eyes.

Romano didn't answer him, but rather clenched his palms together. The tickets in his pocket burned against him, reminding him of what he wanted to accomplish. Speaking always had him insulting Spain needlessly. So he remained quiet and careful.

"Romano?" Spain stood now, slowly, with the caution one would use when approaching a wild animal.

Spain took a step forward and put a hand on Romano's shoulder. Romano flinched against the butterflies that erupted in his stomach. Spain's hand was warm and welcome, but Romano shrugged it off as he always did, embarrassed by the feeling Spain aroused in him. Spain took his hand back gingerly.

"I'm sorry," He began instantly, "I didn't mean to…"

"Don't say that." Romano snapped. _You're perfect. Don't apologize. Please._

"Sorry?" Spain blinked.

_If you apologize for perfection, then what am I? I'm nothing to you already. Don't make it worse for me. My heart won't handle it._

A tear strode down the length of Romano's cheek. A shudder wracked his body as more tears followed suit. Romano's stronghold of emotions broke then, and he felt like running but he couldn't move his feet.

_Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it,_ "Damn it!"

"What's going on, Romano?" Spain furrowed his brow and strode forward, seeking Romano's eyes. "Romano?"  
>"You stupid <em>bastard<em>!" Romano found Spain's eyes then. Tears flowed freely down his cheeks as he continued, "Why the hell are you so perfect? You don't even know how I feel! You stupid, ignorant, sweet, patient, beautiful BASTARD!"

Silence reigned for a moment, and even more tears slid down the length of Romano's face. He was about to tear his gaze away from Spain's when Spain put his hands on his shoulders, rooting him even more to place.

"Now that's the Romano I love." He smiled.

"L-love?" Romano's voice shook as sobs escaped him. The tears broke through like a roaring waterfall. They were unstoppable. Romano swiped his arm across his eyes a few times in a desperate attempt to quench the flow, but this forced even more tears through.

"You pervert." He sniffed pathetically.

Spain chuckled, and Romano's heart throbbed at the sound.

"Wait." Romano stopped, tears forgotten, and reached into his pocket. "The World's Fair is in a few days, and I was…I was wondering if you'd…if you'd…"

Romano pulled the tickets out of his pocket. They were ruined beyond recognition; merely two pieces of heavily abused, lightly colored paper rested in his palms now. The sight made him gag. The tears stopped, but his heart fell.

Romano looked up to apologize to Spain only to find that Spain had pulled a pair of perfect—although folded—tickets from his own pocket.

Spain shrugged. "I thought the same thing."

Romano blinked.

"You pervert."

**So, yeah, I'm thinking this is the end xD Sorry, guys. It kind of turned sloppy by the end. Next fic I write will probably be FrancexCanada! Can't wait! Please review~ And if you have any particular couples you'd like me to write on, well, I will. Eventually. **


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